Past Tense Verbs:

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Past Tense Verbs

• Staying on Top of the System!

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English has only two kinds of verbs, each with
the same three main parts.

• (1) REGULAR
• Infinitive to WALK
• Past tense WALKED
• (no helping verb used)
• Past participle
• WALKED
• (always with helping verb)

• (2) IRREGULAR
• Infinitive to FLY
• Past tense FLEW
• (no helping verb used)
• Past participle
• FLOWN
• (always with helping verb)

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Every verb tense in English is formed from these
three principal parts.

• I love you.
• I will love you always.
• I loved you in the past, but at the time you
  didnt love me.
• I had loved you long before you spoke to me in
  our writing class.
• I wanted you to love me for myself, not for my
  ability to correct comma splices.

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Whats the difference between a regular and an
irregular verb?

• A regular verb never changes the main verb
  itself it just adds a d or an ed when describing
  past actions
• dancedanced talktalked
• Irregular verbs are unpredictable. When
  describing past actions, they might (1) stay the
  same, (2) change just a part of the word, or (3)
  change the whole word
• cut cut growgrew think thought

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Regular past tense verbs Tip 1

• Remember to add the d or ed endings to mark the
  past, especially those endings that we dont hear
  clearly!
• Every day, I walk to work.
• Yesterday, I walked to work.
• For weeks now, I have walked to work.
• Every night, we dance till dawn.
• Last night, we danced till dawn.
• On many nights, we have danced till dawn.

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REGULAR past tense verbs Tip 2

• Be extra careful when the word to follows a
  past tense verb its easy to forget the verb
  ending because we dont hear it.
• Grammar use to be easy.
• This is suppose to be fun.

d
d
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Regular past tense verbsTip 3

• Remember to use the change y to i when you add
  ed rule!

Present Past
We testify. We testified.
They apply. They have applied.
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Irregular past tense verbsTip 1

• Some verbs stay the same in the present and the
  past. Dont be tempted to add an ending.

Present Past
I quit! Yesterday I quit!
They cost a lot nowadays. Earlier, they had cost a lot.
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Irregular past tense verbs Tip 2

• The past tense of TO BE has both a singular and
  a plural form. Watch the subject/verb agreement.

Present Past
Singular Today she is happy. Yesterday she was happy.
Plural Today they are happy. Yesterday they were happy
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What About Other Tenses?

• All other past-tense verbs are formed from the
  past participle and some kind of a helping verb
  like has/ have/ had/ is/ was/ were
• He has asked the 64,000 question.
• The case was decided in their favor.
• She had written a prize-winning essay.
• You have been selected to enter the Publishers
  Clearinghouse sweepstakes!

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Past participles of regular verbs end in d or ed,
just as the past tense verb does.
Present Past Past Participle
talk talked (has) talked
depend depended (has) depended
testify testified (has) testified
scare scared (has) scared
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Unfortunately, the past participles of irregular
verbs are as unpredictable as the past tense is.
Present Past Past participle
begin began
become became
choose chose
cut cut
lead led
Present Past Past participle
go went
see saw
forget forgot
give gave
do did
begun
gone
seen
become
chosen
forgotten
given
cut
led
done
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And just to make things really confusing, theres
always
Present Past Past Participle
lie (recline) lay has lain
lay (put) laid has laid
sit sat has sat
set (place) set has set
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Warning Potential Trouble Spot!

• Past participles are often used as adjectives, to
  describe other words. Remember the ed ending!
• What is the prescribe solution?
• ( the solution which someone has prescribed)
  
• You seem shock .
• ( something has shocked you)

d
ed
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Try some out! Are there any missing endings
below?
d

• She appears to be a very prejudice person.
• My critical thinking teacher was astonish that
  I finished the quiz so early.
• I think everything is finally settle to
  everyones satisfaction.

ed
d
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Warning Potential Trouble Spot 2!

• Dont confuse the past tense of the irregular
  verbs (no helping verb) with the past participle
  (with helping verb).
• I begun my homework early this week.
• He had gave me his address.

X
X
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Warning Potential Trouble Spot 3!

• Watch the passive verbs ( a combination of is,
  are, was, were, be, been, or being plus the past
  participle). Be sure to use the participle form.
• My heart is broken.
• (not is broke)
• The course was well designed.
• (not was well design)
• The report will soon be written.
• (not will soon be wrote).

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And thats all there is to it!
Verbs are easy, when you understand the system!